Research Paper Volume 13, Issue 23 pp 25408—25425
lncRNA CASC7 regulates pathological progression of ox-LDL-stimulated atherosclerotic cell models via sponging miR-21 and regulating PI3K/Akt and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways
Figure 7. Upregulated PI3K and TLR4 blocks the biological effects of CASC7 on VSMC and HUVEC, respectively. (A–C) Expression levels of PI3K and Akt in VSMC were determined by Western blot assays. (D) Cell viability of VSMC cells was evaluated by CCK-8 assays. (E, F) Apoptosis rates of VSMC were tested by flow cytometry. (G, H) Invasion capability was evaluated by Transwell invasion assays. (I–K) Expression of TLR4 and NF-κB in HUVEC were quantified by Western blot assays. (L) Levels of inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, were detected by ELISA. Photomicrographs show representative images of the VSMC and HUVEC (400×). Data are presented as mean ± SD. *P < 0.05.